{"id":80647,"date":"2024-03-06T00:51:01","date_gmt":"2024-03-06T00:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/06\/roku-disables-tvs-and-streaming-devices-until-users-consent-to-new-terms-techcrunch\/"},"modified":"2024-03-06T00:51:01","modified_gmt":"2024-03-06T00:51:01","slug":"roku-disables-tvs-and-streaming-devices-until-users-consent-to-new-terms-techcrunch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/06\/roku-disables-tvs-and-streaming-devices-until-users-consent-to-new-terms-techcrunch\/","title":{"rendered":"Roku disables TVs and streaming devices until users consent to new terms | TechCrunch"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Roku users around the country turned on their TVs this week to find an unpleasant surprise: the company required them to consent to new dispute resolution terms in order to access their device. The devices are unusable until the user agrees.<\/p>\n

Users (at least, this user) received an email the day before saying that \u201cwe have made changes to our Dispute Resolution Terms, which describe how you can resolve disputes with Roku. We encourage you to read the updated Dispute Resolution Terms. By continuing to use our products or services, you are agreeing to these updated terms.\u201d<\/p>\n

The terms, of course, include a forced arbitration<\/a> agreement that prevents the user from suing or taking part in lawsuits against Roku. It\u2019s common these days as a way of limiting liability, and users often have little or no recourse. They only find out later, when the company does something heinous and consequences are negligible. Tech companies love this one dirty trick to save millions!<\/p>\n

But what is actually new on perusal of the terms is a whole \u201cInformal Dispute Resolution\u201d section. This requires anyone with legal complaints to take them to Roku lawyers first, who will conduct a \u201cMeet-and-Confer\u201d call and then \u201cmake a fair, fact-based offer of resolution\u201d that will no doubt be generous and thoughtful. So they\u2019ve added a pre-arbitration arbiter to further distance legal threats from coming into effect. The change was actually made last fall but only came into effect recently, and now, some weeks later, users are being informed by this method.<\/p>\n

I try to opt out of these when I can, and after reading the terms (of course, by \u201ccontinuing to use\u201d my TV I had already agreed) I found that you could only do so by mailing a written notice to their lawyers \u2014 something I fully intended to do today. Actually, since arbitration was apparently already required, this provides an opportunity to opt out of something I didn\u2019t know I was already subject to.<\/p>\n

But yesterday I turned on the TV and saw the notice again, as did countless others (some saw it a few days ago), who quickly took to the forums to complain<\/a>. I accidentally agreed (again\u2026 I think) by hitting the star button and then back, by which I intended to look for an out, but there was none. There was no accessing the device without agreeing to the new terms.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, the terms themselves haven\u2019t changed in a long time. Whenever they were updated<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how it looked to anyone just trying to watch the new episode of Sh\u014dgun (great so far):<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Image Credits:<\/strong> Roku Forums\/AJCxZ0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

That\u2019s from forum user AJCxZ0, hope you don\u2019t mind.<\/p>\n

Not that this is so uncommon. After all, we constantly are using apps and games that present us with new EULAs and terms and conditions. I probably have ignored a dozen and exposed myself to untold dangers here. But there really is something rather despicable about totally disabling a user\u2019s device until they agree, and having basically anything the user does count as agreement. Many phones, apps, and services let you continue using them for some time or restrict you to the current version until you agree.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately that isn\u2019t the case here. As of right now I am bound by this new agreement. I\u2019ll still be opting out, and you should too \u2014 but you\u2019ll have to move fast. You can only do so within 30 days of the new terms coming into force upon you. That may be when you were notified, but it may also be on March 20, which is 30 days after they nominally (and silently) went into effect, on February 20. So grab a pen and paper and jot down the following information:<\/p>\n